The view from Blackrock is beautiful! Below: The summit of Blackrock is a massive jumble of boulders left behind by an ancient collapsed cliff; Adam looks at the different hiking options around Blackrock. This area is popular with families and day-hikers due to its short length, With all the leaves down, Skyline Drive was visible many places along the trail.

Adam Says…

For the last several years, we’ve had our own non-traditional Thanksgiving Day celebration  We start off with a morning hike, and for dinner we have homemade pizza.  Since it is typically just the two of us, we haven’t felt the need to make a big turkey with all the trimmings.  Christine isn’t a big fan of turkey, so we decided to have something for dinner that we both enjoy even more. But to keep with a little tradition, we take a piece of pepperoni, make a wish, and tug on both ends.  Whoever gets the majority of the pepperoni, gets their wish.  And there is also usually football on the TV.

We started off our 2011 Thanksgiving hike by parking one car on the side of the road at mile marker 89 (after the Horsehead Mountain overlook) where the Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive.  We then drove back to the Brown Gap parking lot (near mile marker 83).  The white-blazed Appalachian Trail begins across Skyline Drive.  The trail starts off with a gradual uphill.  At .8 miles, you may begin to smell campfires or see a few people since it goes right behind the Dundo Picnic Area.  At 1.3 miles, the trail intersects with the Jones Run Trail and then at 1.5 miles, the trail crosses Skyline Drive again.  The trail continues uphill to make your way up to the summit of Blackrock mountain.

The rock jumble on Blackrock is impressive. Below: Adam hikes around the summit; Adam hikes along the AT under bare trees.

At mile 2.0, the trail skirts a Blackrock parking lot.  A sign shows some alternate ways up Blackrock mountain, but just stay on the Appalachian Trail.  At 2.5 miles, you should reach the boulder pile for the summit of Blackrock.  You will see some nice views from this point and from a nearby overlook as the trail winds around the summit.   The trail then starts descending rather steeply down the other side.  At mile 3, we took the spur trail that leads to Blackrock hut.  The hut is about .2 miles away down a steep out-and-back trail.  We visited the hut and returned to the Appalachian Trail at mile 3.4.  At mile 3.9, the trail crosses Skyline Drive.  At this point, the trail begins to go back uphill and goes up and down two small hills until you reach your car at mile 6.0.

The best part of this hike is clearly the Blackrock summit.  It is fun to climb around on the boulders and the views from this area and the nearby overlook are great.  Many people hike this summit from the Blackrock parking lot.  For a one-mile hike from the parking lot, this does give you a good payoff for little effort.  Since it is a short hike, you should expect to see other people on this hike during most nice days.

Since it was Thanksgiving, Christine and I talked to each other about what we were thankful for.  I am very thankful to have an amazing wife, three dogs that are a great part of our family, a job that enables me to enjoy the rest of my life, and the ability to be able to hike with Christine through some gorgeous areas of Virginia.  I’m very thankful to have the life that I have.

We only have about 12 more miles to finish the southern section of Shenandoah National Park.  It is always amazing to us when we are driving to cover our next section that we have been able to cover all this distance on foot.

Christine says…

Well… this post has been a long time coming!  I can’t believe it’s taken us nearly a month to get details about our Thankgiving hike onto the blog.  The holiday season is always so busy and chaotic!

As far as hikes go, this one was pretty low-key.  There was one great view from Blackrock, but it was mostly walking through the woods.  The terrain was really easy and the weather was really warm for late November.  We only saw one other group of people the entire day – a family hiking up to Blackrock.

I really enjoyed the walk down to visit Blackrock Hut.  Adam surprised me by bringing our JetBoil along.  We got to enjoy drinking hot beverages while perusing the shelter log.  He had cocoa and I had hot cider.  The hike was such a fun and relaxing way to spend the holiday morning.

We made a stop at Blackrock Hut. Below: The shelter journal; Adam makes cider and hot cocoa, Our non-traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I can’t even begin to describe how much I love our Thanksgiving tradition!  I used to spend the entire day in the kitchen – basting the turkey, preparing a zillion different side dishes and setting the table.  I would stress over getting everything onto the table at the same time.  And worst of all… by the time the meal was ready, I really didn’t even want to eat it.  And then there was the sink full of dishes, weeks worth of leftovers and the dreaded turkey carcass to contend with.  Now I get to go for a hike and spend the majority of the day outdoors. Plus, homemade pizza is easy, no-fuss and delicious after a hike.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.0 miles (including .4 mile side trail to Blackrock Hut)
  
• Elevation Change – about 1100 feet
  
• Difficulty – 2. There is some uphill at the end of the hike, but most of the hike is flat or downhill.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5.  Overall was pretty well-maintained, but there were a few trees across the trail to navigate coming down from Blackrock summit.
  
• Views – 3.5.  Best views on the hike are near Blackrock Mountain
• Streams/Waterfalls – 1. A small, mostly-dry stream was near the Blackrock hut.
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything beyond birds and squirrels.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4.5. Just stay on the Appalachian Trail. 
  
• Solitude – 3.5.  Expect to see people around Blackrock mountain, but otherwise, not a lot of traffic on this hike.
  

Directions to trailhead: Leave one car on the side of the road at mile marker 89 (after the Horsehead Mountain overlook) where the Appalachian Trail crosses Skyline Drive.  Drive back to the Brown Gap parking lot (near mile marker 83).  The white-blazed Appalachian Trail begins across Skyline Drive.

Adam enjoys the view from Abbie Point. Below: The trailhead for this hike is along Hone Quarry Road; Colorful foliage, A campsite near the ridgeline.

Christine Says…

Last weekend, we had a perfect fall day – probably one of the last ones of the 2011 season – bluebird skies, temperatures in the sixties and glorious fall color.  We had obligations in Harrisonburg on Sunday morning, so we decided to choose a hike close to town so we wouldn’t miss out on such a nice hiking day.  We did some research and decided on the Hone Quarry Ridge Trail.  Its five mile length and close proximity to town made it perfect for a quickie hike squeezed into a busy day.

The hike was actually tougher than I expected!  The climb went uphill without many switchbacks which was a small part of the challenge, but most of the difficulty came from the tricky footing.  Large sections of the trail were covered with loose, pointy, ankle-turning rocks covered with a deep layer of dry autumn leaves.  I was so glad to have my trekking poles.  I am sure they saved me from turning my ankles multiple times.

The woods were so colorful – reds, oranges, golds mixed in with occasional evergreens.  On the climb up, we caught glimpses of views through the thinning trees.  We passed a few established backcountry campsites and enjoyed one gorgeous open view from Abbie Point.

Yellow blazes were few and far between. Below: Adam makes his way up the trail; A couple of the signs we spotted along the way. There were several trail junctions that were unsigned.

Hiking in George Washington National Forest can be a real adventure.  Some popular trails like Big Schloss and Kennedy Peak are as navigable and well-maintained as anything in Shenandoah National Park.  While other trails, like Hone Quarry Ridge, have very little foot traffic.  Not much attention goes into maintaining these trails.  The double yellow blazes were spaced pretty far apart.  Trail junctions were often unmarked, leaving us to consult a map and compass to decide our direction.  The signs that were standing were in relatively poor condition, slowly rotting into the woods.  Don’t let this deter you from trying the trail, just be prepared to double-check your navigation.

After enjoying the view from Abbie Point, the remainder of the hike was mostly downhill (with the exception of a few short uphills), along rocky and occasionally narrow trail.  We moved pretty quickly, because we were hungry and had exciting late lunch plans.  If you’re ever in Harrisonburg, don’t miss trying Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint.  They have the best burgers made with American Kobe/Wagyu beef and the fries are always hot and perfectly cooked.  They always have plain burgers and one specialty burger on the menu.  I got a cheeseburger and a Crispin Hard Cider.  We sat on the heated outdoor patio and enjoyed our decadent lunch.

It was another great hike, with one downside.  I got the largest, most painful blister I’ve ever had in my life.  I really don’t know how it happened.  My boots were the same. My socks were the same.  I’m pretty sure I laced up the same.  I made it through the hike, but the half dollar sized blister on my left heel has been monstrously painful all week. It was so bad, that I ended up at the doctor’s office on Wednesday to make sure it wasn’t infected.  I could hardly walk and I couldn’t wear shoes.  We were supposed to hike with my parents the weekend before Halloween, but I still wasn’t ready to wear boots again.  It’s finally starting to feel better a week later.

Adam Says…

As Christine mentioned, this is a hike that I’m glad we have a few modern-day conveniences for hiking since leaves were covering most of the trail.  My GPS was handy to make sure we were going the right direction and our trekking poles helped to test the ground out and give some extra support with each step.

An example of the rocky trail conditions.

The trail started off shortly after the the Hone Quarry campground.  After crossing the spillway, we parked our car on the right where there is space for about 3 cars.  The trail starts off across the road and you should see a hiking trail marker on a fire road that shortly leads to a wider off-road parking spot.  You’ll see the trail marker go over a mound to the left and up the hill to start the hike.  In .1 mile, you’ll arrive at an intersection.  The left heads towards the Heartbreak trail and the right heads to the Big Hollow Trail.  Follow the trail to the right.  The trail begins to ascend going up a wider trail that follows a stream along the way.  At .8 miles, the trail will hit a switchback and start a steeper ascent up the mountain.  At the 1.1 mile mark, the trail will cross a fire road, but keep going straight.  At 1.4 miles, the trail rejoins the same abandoned fire road you joined (you’ll see a small firepit to your left).

Take a right here to join the wider fire road.  The trail is quite steep at this point as you’re heading straight up the mountain with few breaks in the uphill climb.  At 2.1 miles, you will reach the intersection with the Hone Quarry Mountain trail.  Take a left on this trail and you will see another firepit immediately on your left.  The trail descends into a small saddle and then begins a steep hike up to a rocky overlook on your right at 2.7 miles.  This is the best point for views on the entire hike.

The trail from this point is mostly downhill, but quite overgrown.  Much of the trail feels like an animal path through the thick vegetation around.  Keep your eye out for the yellow-blazed trail markers.  At about the 4.0 mile marker you reach another firepit/campsite area and the trail seems like it splits again (There was a log covering the path straight, so I’m not sure if the trail continues at this point or everything goes to the left).  Take a sharp left here (this is now the Heartbreak trail).  The trail descends rather quickly through the forest, often through loose rocks, so be careful about your footing!  The Heartbreak trail was the most difficult to navigate.  The blazes were sparse, so we had to keep hoping we were still on the trail, since leaves covered anything that could be called a path below our feet.  Eventually the blazes led us closely to the campground area and we crossed the stream and made our way back to the intersection around 5.0 miles.  We continued straight and made our way back to the car around 5.1 miles.

There was a large group of Mennonites picnicking at Hone Quarry. They're a common site in the Shenandoah Valley. If you hike anywhere west of the city (towards Dayton or Ottobine) on Sunday, you'll see many families out in buggies and on bikes. Below: A few more shots.

I joked with Christine that the Heartbreak trail was aptly named, since I can imagine lots of couples arguing about if they were still on the hiking trail and then breaking up after the hike was over.  After we got back to the car, we came across a bunch of Mennonite families that were enjoying a potluck picnic.  Several of the families were heading off to another hiking trail.  The simpler life does make me think of how families may have done this type of thing often in the past.  Seeing people hiking in suits and dresses reminds me of old pictures that I have seen of people hiking many of the national parks when they were first being established.  Today we have trekking poles, wicking shirts, hiking pants that unzip to become shorts, GPS systems, camelbaks, etc.

If you are interested in geocaching, there are a few available on this trail.

• Gnome Watch – a fun clue that leads you to the nearby cache.
• Hone Quarry – a standard cache not far from the trail.
• Cache Advance – a standard cache near the picnic area.  Not on the hike, but hard to resist since you pass near it on the drive.

While I think this hike was enjoyable, I was expecting more chances to catch some views.  You really only get views from the one rocky outcropping.  Everything else is obstructed.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 1480 feet.
  
• Difficulty – 3.  The climbing on this hike is actually pretty steep, both uphill and downhill.  
• Trail Conditions – 1.5.  Like many less known trails in the National Forest, the Hone Quarry Ridge Trail is minimally maintained.  The trail is extremely rocky, and under a deep layer of fallen autumn leaves it can be downright perilous.
  
• Views –3.  One nice, open view and some nice peeks through the trees along the way. 
• Streams/Waterfalls – 2.  The nearly dry stream along this trail has the potential of being quite prettier when there is more rain.
  
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 1.5.  The trail is minimally blazed and signs are far and few between.  We recommend bringing a map and a compass.  There are several trail intersections where you might go wrong.
  
• Solitude – 4.  Hone Quarry is a popular camping and picnic area, but you probably won’t see many people on this hike.  On a gorgeous Sunday, at the peak of fall, we saw only three people on the trail.

Directions to trailhead: From 33, head south on SR 613/Clover Hill Road.  After passing Paul State Forest, the road comes to an intersection.   Stay straight and follow the signs to 257/Briery Branch Road.  257 eventually enters into George Washington National Forest.  Take the first right on to Hone Quarry Road.  Pass by the picnic area and then a small spillway over a stream.  You will see a parking area shortly after on the right and the hiking trail is on the opposite side of the road.

Taking in the view from the Glass Hollow Overlook. It was really hazy and we were facing the sun, so the photos aren't great. But, it was still really colorful and pretty. Below: Adam takes the turn onto the Appalachian Trail; The Paul C. Wolfe Shelter; Adam walks along the Albright Trail.

Adam Says…

Today was our 14th wedding anniversary, so we decided to take the day off of work and go for a nice hike together.   It is a good sign that it doesn’t seem like 14 years and that time has flown.  I’ve seen a card that said on the outside “Thank you for five wonderful years of marriage” and on the inside it said “Happy 25th Anniversary”.  We’ve had some great years together.  It was wonderful to pick a beautiful fall day to experience together.

As we mentioned in “Our Most Popular Trails” post, we are shocked that Humpback Rock receives so much attention.  We thought it would be a good idea to talk about this other hike that takes off from the Humpback Rock parking lot.  So, if you’re interested in hiking but not tons of people, this may be an option for you. The views are better from Humpback Rock, but you do get some benefits on this hike also.

After parking in the lot, you will see a picnic table adjacent to the first parking spot.  There are two trails that take off from this spot.  Take the blue-blazed trail to the right of the picnic table that descends into the woods (you’ll return from the loop by the Albright Loop Trail on the left).   The trail descends gradually and at .25 miles, you reach an intersection with the Appalachian Trail.  Take a left on the white-blazed AT heading north.  The trail at this point is relatively flat or downhill.  At mile 1.1, you reach an intersection with a small blue-blazed trail that veers off to the right pointing to the Glass Hollow Overlook.  The trail to the overlook is just about .2 mile and is worth the walk.  At the overlook, there is a backcountry campsite for those that would like to camp and take in the views of the sunrise from the overlook.  Go back on the spur trail the way you came and join the AT again, taking a right and continuing north on the trail taking your mileage to 1.3 miles.   At mile 1.6 and 1.7, you come across intersections with the Albright Loop trail.  Just continue on the Appalachian Trail.

Adam checks out the shelter log in the Paul C. Wolfe shelter. Below: Past campers debate (in graffiti) the philosophy of Christopher McCandless from 'Into the Wild'; We found a name we knew in the shelter log; On the hike back up from the shelter, we got an open view of Bears Den Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. You can't tell in this photo, but there are radio towers atop the mountain in the distance.

The trail begins to descend for the next 1.3 miles through a long series of switchbacks.  At mile 3.0, we rock-hopped across Mill Creek and reached the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter.  We took some time to rest here before we returned the way we came on the Appalachian Trail.  We climbed back up the Appalachian Trail from the shelter heading south this time and back up the switchbacks we had just experienced.  We were both glad that these took off some of the difficulty of the elevation climb.  At mile 4.2, we reached the first junction with the blue-blazed Albright Loop Trail.  Take a right here and you will follow this trail 2 miles back to the parking lot.  The hike on the Albright Loop trail starts off very manageable, but ends up being the most difficult part of the hike since there is quite an ascent up through some switchbacks.

On the return on the Albright Loop Trail, immediately after the second switchback, look up the hillside to see the wreckage of a Beechcraft Bonanza plane.  On the trail it was marked with a cairn to show where you can leave the trail.  The plane crashed back in 1963.  Please respect the wreckage and leave it as it is.

Plane Wreckage along the Albright Trail. Below: Adam checks out another section of the plane.

The Paul C. Wolfe Memorial shelter was built by the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club in 1991.  According to their website, “it took approximately 30 people every weekend for two months to complete the shelter.  Materials were hauled two miles by hand and tractor.”  This is one of the nicest huts on the AT, according to a lot of the thru-hikers.  It really has nice construction and a beautiful location.

After our hike, we made a quick trip down to Sonic for a snack (tots and creamslushes!).  We didn’t want to spoil our anniversary dinner though, since we had reservations at The Local Chop & Grill House in Harrisonburg, VA.   It always feels good to have a guilt-free dinner when you have burned off a lot of calories on a hike.

Christine says…

What a great anniversary hike!  I love being out on the trail during the peak of fall foliage season.  All during the hike, the sun was filtering through the trees above – making a gorgeous canopy of gold.  There were also plenty of brilliant red maples tucked into the understory.  What was even better — no crowds!  Hiking on a weekday on a less well-known trail made this hike especially enjoyable.

I had new boots to try out on this hike. Right out of the box, my Oboz Sawtooth boots were perfectly comfortable.  They’re the first taller pair of boots I’ve ever worn.  I was skeptical about that, but they felt great the whole six+ miles.

A golden canopy of forest. Below: New boots on the Glass Hollow Overlook; Adam crosses Mill Creek; A small cascade on the stream.

Since Adam has already talked about the trail specifics, I’ll just share a few of my highlights. One of my favorite stops was at the Paul C. Wolfe shelter.  It really is one of the nicest backpacking shelters I’ve ever seen – two levels, plexiglass windows, hooks to hang backpacks and a deep, well-sheltered porch, so you always stay dry when you’re sleeping.  The structure is set uphill, overlooking a wonderful, babbling stream.  Even the privy is unique at this shelter.  With it’s half-door, I can’t say you’ll ever get true privacy, but at least you know when it’s occupied and the ventilation couldn’t be better!

While we were taking our break at the shelter, we took a few minutes to flip through the log book.  We noticed the entry from one of the backpackers we met in September at the Pinefield Hut.  It was kind of neat to see a name we knew.

I also took some time to explore and photograph the stream.  Along the bank of the stream, there is a marble bench placed in memory of John Donovan.  He was an experienced hiker and a member of the Old Dominion Appalachian Trail Club. He died on his attempt to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2005.  The bench gave me enough information to Google his name so I could learn more about what happened.  As it turns out, Backpacker Magazine published a long feature story about John Donovan’s disappearance and death in a 2006 issue.  It was a fascinating read!  The tragedy that befell Donovan turned into a miracle that saved two other lives.

A bench is placed in memory of John Donovan. Below: The privy has a half door!

The plane crash was an interesting stop, too.  I expected the plane wreckage to be a lot rustier after close to fifty years in the woods, but it was still completely recognizable as an aircraft.  I couldn’t find anything more about the crash other than the year it happened and the type of plane.

After leaving the plane site, we finished out stint on the Albright Trail and made our way back to the car.  The parking lot was really full, but pretty much everyone else was on the Humpback Rocks trail.  I’m really glad we took the time to explore this trail – it turned out to be a perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 6.2 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 1500 feet.
  
• Difficulty – 3.  There is a good amount of uphill climbing.  The steepest section is along the Albright Loop Trail.
• Trail Conditions – 4.  The trail is nicely maintained.  During the fall season, be sure to watch your footing if the trail is covered with leaves.  There are loose rocks underneath a good portion of the trail.
  
• Views –3.  The best unobstructed views are from the Glass Hollow Overlook. 
• Streams/Waterfalls – 3.  Mill Creek was moving nicely near the shelter.  According to a journal entry from an AT hiker, there is a small waterfall and pool shortly downstream.
  
• Wildlife – 1.  We didn’t see anything beyond birds, chipmunks and squirrels.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  There are a few intersections, but there are also signs at each of the intersections.
  
• Solitude – 3.  You will likely run into a few others on the trail, due to the proximity of Humpback Rocks.

Directions to trailhead: The trail is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Mile Marker 8. The hike begins on the blue-blazed trail to the right of the picnic table.

The woods along the Beall Trails are pretty and lush. Below: Flowers were still blooming at the end of summer; The area is part of a National Wildlife Refuge; Lots of deer inhabit the area of the Beall Trails.

Adam Says…

This figure-eight loop trail was a great way to experience some early fall weather and scenery.  This trail doesn’t have a lot of elevation change, so it is doable by most people.  It is also a birdwatchers paradise if you hit the trail in the early morning.  The open fields and nearby Blackwater River make this an active spot for birds.  Here is a checklist of birds you may see in this area.

We parked at the parking lot and started by taking the South Beall trail.  The trail started off cut through grass.  There are a couple of signs that point to the left, but stay straight on the trail.  Eventually, you will approach an area that is wooded.  There is a sign here for a handicapped hunting shed, that hunters use for deer hunting.  The trail begins to loop away to the left near the sign and begins to descend towards the Blackwater River.  The trail hugs closely to the River and gives you a few views of the water before you ascend back up the trail.  You will eventually rejoin the trail.  Take a right and make your way back to the parking lot.

For the North Beall trail, the trail starts off instantly in the woods.  After a few tenths of a mile, it opens back up into a large field (where a large barn used to exist) and then brings you back into the woods.  The North Beall trail then continues to loop to the east, and then brings you on more of a fire road to take you back to your vehicle.

There is a Beall Connector trail that bisects the North Beall trail to make a shorter loop.  There is also a Bog Overlook Trail and Hemlock spur trail that are both out-and-back short trails if you wanted to add more to your hike.

One interesting thing that happened along our hike is that we heard and saw about 12 fighter planes streak across the sky at lower elevations and then bank hard over the nearby mountains.   The area is used for pilot training. I’m not sure exactly what type of planes these were, but they were definitely combat-type planes.  We tried to get some pictures, but whenever we heard them we were deep in the woods and couldn’t get a clear shot with the speed they were flying.

A Black Swallowtail Caterpillar. Below: Adam and Wookie walking along the trail; Wookie perches in a tree; Trail marker

On the fire road on the North Beall trail, shortly before returning to our vehicle, I spotted a bright green caterpillar.  We inspected it closely and it had large orange antennae.  We had never seen any caterpillar that was so bright and colorful before.   After returning home, Christine was able to identify it as a Black Swallowtail caterpillar.  It also gave off a strong stench when we picked it up on a stick.  It turns out that these caterpillars brighten up and secrete a chemical as a defense mechanism.  After getting a few close photos, we put it back down to let him travel along to one day become a gorgeous butterfly.

After our short hike, we made a trip into Davis, WV for lunch at Hellbender’s Burritos.  This was our first trip there, but the food was amazing!  Christine got the Gendarme burrito, which was similar to a Philly cheese steak and I got The Admiral, which had chicken and bacon.  We will definitely make this a must-stop place for lunch in the future.

Christine Says…

When Adam and I decided to get away to Canaan Valley for a long weekend, I thought we’d do a couple hikes, go for a bike ride and maybe take a ride up to Dolly Sods. In the end, it turned out to be a chilly, gray weekend, so we opted for just one really easy hike on the Beall Trails and lot of movies on DVD, crackling fires, pizza eating and wine drinking. It was nice to have such a relaxing weekend, but I am glad we did manage to get in one hike!

We decided to take Wookie along on this hike.  He really hasn’t been hiking much lately because of the summer heat.  He was beyond thrilled to accompany us.  When he saw us packing his leash and portable crate, he started spinning in circles and whining excitedly.  That dog loves outings more than any dog I’ve ever known!

Wookie runs on the South Beall trail. Below: Leaves were starting to turn colors; A bluebird box on the trail.

The Beall Trails, which essentially form a large figure-eight path, are part of the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  The trails go across open meadows, through boreal forest and along a small stretch of the Blackwater River.  It’s very easy, mostly flat walking.  The trail is in great shape, so it’s really a suitable hike for all kinds of people.  [View a map of the CVNWR Trail System]

We started off South Beall Trail.  Essentially, the path crosses a large open meadow before turning left into the woods and dropping down to the shore of the Blackwater River.  After following the river for a few tenths of a mile, the trail ascends quickly and returns hikers the same meadow path back to the parking area.  The river is lovely and in the meadow, you’ll likely see whitetail deer, wildflowers, birds and butterflies.  There are bluebird boxes around the meadow and an accessible hunting blind is located a short distance from the trail.

Stopping along the Blackwater River. Below: Adam and Wookie make their way along the South Beall Trail; More pretty trail scenery.

The North Beall Trail is a little bit longer and a little bit more densely wooded.  There is one distinctly open area a couple tenths of a mile into the trail.  The field used to house a beautiful, run-down old barn that we enjoyed exploring and photographing.  However in May of 2008, the barn was torn down to supply the barn timbers to the National Park Service for restoration projects at Antietem Battlefield.  I’m sure the wood from the Beall Barn lent a lot of authenticity to the battlefield projects, but I wish they had left the barn where it originally stood.  I wasn’t happy about them taking history from one place and falsely installing it in another.  It also took away the home of the owls that used to roost in the barn.  You can still read about the barn and the owls on the plaque at the trail entrance.  The interpretive sign about the barn was still there as of 2011. Oh well…

Even without the barn, the area is still very pretty and we enjoyed our short hike very much!

Wookie Says…

This was a great trail for a dog!  Even though it went along the river, I didn’t get wet or muddy at all.  I especially liked running in the open meadows!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 3.5 miles total.  1.4 miles for the South Loop and 2.1 miles for the North Loop
  
• Elevation Change – about 100 feet
  
• Difficulty – 1.5.  There is only one slightly steep climb on the South Loop.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5.  The trail is maintained, but may be overgrown in some of the summer/fall months.
  
• Views – 2.5.  You will get nice views of the mountains around you from the open fields, but this isn’t a hike for overlooks.
• Streams/Waterfalls – 3.  On the South Loop, you do walk along the Blackwater River for some nice views between the trees.
• Wildlife – 3.5  We saw a few deer on the trail, but the birdwatching on this trail is prime.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  This is an enclosed group of inter-connected trails, so you shouldn’t get lost.
  
• Solitude – 4.5.  We’ve hiked this a few times and haven’t seen anyone. 
  

Directions to trailhead:  Heading north on Route 32 through Canaan Valley, WV, take a right on Cortland Road.  In about 1.5 miles, you will reach a one-lane bridge.  Nearby is the Canaan Valley sign that points to the short road that leads to the parking lot.  The parking lot is the center of the South and North Beall trails, so you can pick which one you would like to start first.

This moderate hike includes two panoramic mountain summits and views along one of the most scenic ponds in Maine.

The summit of Sargent Mountain has a beautiful view. Below: The trail marker behind the Jordan Pond House; Adam enjoys the view from atop an erratic; Jordan Pond is beautiful!

Adam Says…

Hiking up Penobscot Mountain is one of our favorite hikes in Acadia National Park and we decided to save this hike for our last day there.  We had hiked up Penobscot a few times before, but this was the first time that we added on Sargent Mountain.

This loop hike begins at the Jordan Pond House.  Facing the house, if you walk behind the left side of the building, you will see the trailhead marker not far from the bathrooms.  The trail goes into the woods, crossing Jordan Stream with a small footbridge.   At .3 miles you come to an intersection with the Jordan Cliffs trail (another steep option for a loop from Penobscot), but continue on the trail.  At .5 miles, you will cross over one of the gravel carriage roads.  The trail continues up the Spring Trail at this point.  The Spring Trail consists of climbing up some rocks and does require you to pull yourself up through some tight areas.  There is also one area where you will likely need to squeeze your body between a few rocks.  This is the most challenging part of the hike up the trail, but before you know it, you will reach a nice viewpoint (with a stone makeshift bench) to relax from your climb up.  The tricky part from here is that your eyes are drawn to the viewpoint and you could miss the continuation of the trail.   Sitting on the bench and looking out, the trail continues behind your right shoulder.  There is a small path behind your left shoulder, but that leads to a dead-end.

Adam enjoys the stone bench overlooking Jordan Pond. Below: Christine makes her way up the Spring Trail.

After you soak in the views, continue on the trail.  After a short climb, the trail begins to open up as you begin your hike above the treeline on the open mountain face.  The hike up from this point consists of following cairns along the way.  At 1.6 miles, you will reach the summit marker of Penobscot Mountain at 1194 feet.    From the summit, you can see Sargent Mountain ahead, which is only a mile away.  We took the path to the west, leading to Sargent Mountain.  The trail descends rather quickly and you come across the scenic Sargent Pond at 1.75 miles.  Take some time to enjoy the views from the pond and then continue on the trail.  At 1.9 miles, you reach the junction with the Sargent Mountain South Ridge Trail.  Take a right to join this trail and make your way to the peak.  You will come out of the woods and hike on the open mountainside (passing by junctions with the Hadlock Brook Trail and Spring Trail) until you reach the summit at 2.6 miles.  The summit of 1,373 foot Sargent Mountain provides panoramic views covering most of the areas to the north, which were not able to be viewed from Penobscot.  We took a while to enjoy the views here and then followed the east trail down the mountain.  This part of the trail reminded me of Scottish highlands as you hike through fields and rock.  After a few tenths of a mile, the trail then begins a steep descent back into the woods.  There were times that we scooted along our butts to make our way down the next section of rocks.  At 3.4 miles, we reached the junction with the Deer Brook Trail.  We took this left, continuing the steep descent down the rocky trail.  At 3.55 miles, you cross over another carriage road, pass by one of the carriage road arches, and at 3.7 miles you will reach the junction with the Jordan Pond trail.  You have a choice of going either way around the pond, but we took the right to view the western side of Jordan Pond.  This trail follows closely around the pond and consists of a lot of wooden boardwalks to keep people from damaging the ground below.  At 5.4 miles, you reach the Jordan Pond House again to complete your hike.

Christine tries to roll the erratic uphill. Below: Beautiful Maine terrain; Adam at the summit of Penobscot; Blueberries were abundant.

This is a perfect hike to include on your trip to Acadia.  It has a combination of everything that I think this area of Maine has to offer – gorgeous panoramic views from the pink granite summits of the islands and ocean around; chances to take in some of the smaller ponds that are tucked between mountains; and challenging, rocky ascents that give you a grand sense of accomplishment.  On our descent down Sargent Mountain, we came across a few different groups of hikers that were hiking up the east face of Sargent Mountain.  We saw one family that was huffing and puffing their way in complete silence.  I had a feeling they were regretting their decision to hike up this way.  We saw another couple that were just beginning their hike up Sargent.  They said they like doing the loop hike up Sargent and Penobscot in reverse of the way we went because they can enjoy views the entire way down.   I think hiking up Sargent from the east face trail would be extremely steep and slow going, so I’m glad we hiked it this way.

One of the great things about doing this hike early in the day, is you can claim a prime parking spot for the Jordan Pond House.  This place is packed in the summers around lunchtime and you will likely need to wait for a seat.  But it was great to finish off the hike with a nice restaurant and enjoy a popover a la mode with peach ice cream and blueberry sauce.

We had a great week in Acadia and it always sad to leave.  This has always been our favorite vacation spot and I think the hiking and biking we have done in this area show everyone why we love it so much.

Christine Says…

Remember how I was talking about perfect Maine days in our write-up of Gorham Mountain?  Well, our last day of vacation this year was just one of those days.  The weather was so perfect; I was practically swooning over it.  At first, we were just going to do the 3.2-mile out-and-back to the summit of Penobscot Mountain.  I told Adam that I didn’t want the day to end, that I wanted to use every single bit of it, enjoying the views and making the most of my time in Acadia.  We decided to tack the summit of Sargent Mountain onto our hike (this included a climb down the East Cliff Trail, a short stretch of the Deer Brook Trail and a return walk to our starting point along the Jordan Pond Trail.

Sargent Pond is tucked between Penobscot and Sargent mountains. Below: Adam makes his way toward the Sargent summit; the Sargent summit marker; The view from Sargent

After an amazing pancake breakfast at Jeannie’s Great Maine Breakfast, we headed over to the Jordan Pond House.  The trailhead lies in the woods behind the restaurant. The trail crosses Jordan Stream and immediately climbs steeply uphill to where it crosses the Carriage Road.  You see a trail marker, but you really don’t see trail.  That’s mostly because there isn’t trail, rather there is a steep scramble between boulders.  This steep pass is known as the Spring Trail.  It involves a few iron rungs and rails built into the cliff’s side.  Parts of the climb are extremely narrow and require four-point contact with the rocks.

After clearing the cliff, you step out onto a beautiful opening overlooking Jordan Pond from above.  The rock shelf even has a natural stone bench from which you can enjoy your view.  After leaving the opening, the trail goes back into the woods for a short stretch.  From there on out, it’s open walking along the granite to the summit of Penobscot.  This is a mountain that has a couple false summits.  You see a spot that looks like it’s the highest,  but it never is (until you actually reach the rock pile an summit marker.)

At the summit of Penobscot, we stopped to take in the panoramic view of Mt. Desert Island.  The view couldn’t have been more breathtaking and was made even more special by the ideal Maine summer weather.  It was 70 degrees and breezy with deep blue skies.  A solo hiker arrived at the summit a few minutes after we did and asked if we had any sunscreen for him to use.  I loaned him my pink tube of SPF50 for sensitive skin.  It was probably fortuitous that he came by when he did, because it reminded me to reapply sunscreen. It’s so easy to get sunburned when hiking in Maine because of all the open exposures along the mountaintops.  Also, the cool, breezy weather keeps your skin from ever really feeling hot.

After the Penobscot summit, the trail climbs downward into a small wooded area between the two mountains.  This is where you’ll find beautiful Sargent Pond.  We stopped there for a short while and watched dragonflies whizzing about.  We noticed a ‘No Camping’sign posted right next to the pond.  Not surprising – I bet many people have tried to stealth camp at spots like this in Acadia.  Just for the record, Acadia has no real backcountry.  You can’t camp freely in the park, but there are two organized campgrounds – Seawall and Blackwoods.  Probably the closest you get to backcountry hiking and camping in Acadia is if you take a boat out to Isle au Haute where there are several oceanside primitive sites.

The trail climbs steeply uphill from Sargent Pond.  Eventually you clear the trees once again and begin the climb up Sargent.  Sargent’s granite surface is not quite as bare as other mountains in Acadia.  There seems to be more evergreens and low shrubbery along the way, although I’m not sure why.

Hiking down Sargent. Below: This carriage road bridge passes over Deer Brook.

The summit of Sargent is marked the same way as Acadia’s other summits – a rock pile with a wooden sign in the middle.  We really liked the view from Sargent.  It was a little different from the other hikes we had done during this week.  It’s the only place that offered views looking out toward Trenton and Ellsworth.  The day was really clear, so we could see the airport and beyond.

At the summit, we looked at a trail map so we could decide how to make our return back to Jordan Pond House.  One option would have been to retrace our steps and go back the same way we came.  This would have been a perfectly nice option because we could have enjoyed the ocean views the entire walk down.  Instead, we decided to try out some new trails and make a big loop.

The first trail on our return loop was the East Cliff Trail. It was one of the rougher, steeper trails I’ve been on in Acadia.  Although there were occasional views of Jordan Pond, most of the way was scrambling down steeply across rocks and roots.  The trail was pretty overgrown and I gather it’s not one of Acadia’s more heavily used trails.  It was fine, though.

Eventually it met up with the Deer Brook Trail which was more gentle and followed a small stream downhill.  After crossing the carriage road, we climbed downhill past one of Acadia’s famous stone bridges to the junction with the Jordan Pond Trail.  We came out on that trail at the far end of the pond, almost directly across from the Jordan Pond House.

The shore of Jordan Pond looking toward the Bubbles. Below: Boardwalks along Jordan Pond; Lovely Jordan Pond.

For a mile and a half,  the trail clings closely to the edge of the lake.  There are a few places where you have to climb from rock to rock.  There are also many boardwalks over swampy ground that only allow for single-hiker passage.   But, the trail is completely flat so it’s fast hiking.  We were speeding along this easy part of the hike with popovers on our minds.

When we finally got to the Pond House, we had to wait about 45 minutes for a table, but that was OK.  I got some cold water, found a bench and listened to a book on my iPod until our buzzer went off.  I was actually kind of cold at lunch – sweat and a brisk breeze can make even a nice summer day feel chilly.  I warmed up with a big bowl of chicken-orzo soup and two huge, steaming popovers.  For dessert, Adam and I shared a popover a la mode.  It was heaven in a bowl and a fitting end to our wonderful week in Acadia.

Popover a la Mode! Peach ice cream and Maine blueberry sauce. Below: Another look at Jordan Pond; Lunch on the lawn; Popover and strawberry lemonade.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.4 miles
  
• Elevation Change – about 1200 feet total.
  
• Difficulty – 4.  The ascent up the Spring Trail and the descent down Sargent Mountain can be steep and requires careful navigation.
• Trail Conditions – 3.5.  The trail is well-maintained, but there are plenty of places to turn your ankle on the descents.
  
• Views – 5.  There are amazing views throughout this hike as you make your way up to the summits of Penobscot and Sargent Mountains.
• Wildlife – 1.  There isn’t a lot of wildlife in Acadia, but we did see a red squirrel and smaller birds (juncos and other finches) along the hike.  When birds of prey migrate through in the summer, you may see some different hawk varieties.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.  There are some tricky parts along this trail on the ascent up Penobscot and Sargent Mountains, but the trails are fairly-well marked. 
  
• Solitude – 3.  You will likely see people at the summits lingering, but you should be able to stake out your own spots for solitude.  The Jordan Pond trail will likely have lots of people on it, so you won’t have much solitude on that section.
  

Directions to trailhead:  Park at the Jordan Pond House, accessed from the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.   While looking at the house, head around the left side and you will see the signs for the bathrooms.  Across from the bathrooms, you will see the trail marker for the Penobscot Mountain trail.

This route combines one of our favorite short Acadia hikes to the summit of Gorham Mountain followed by a visit to a beautiful glacial pond called The Bowl, and a return walk along the Ocean Path, passing famous landmarks – Sand Beach and Thunder Hole.

Overlooking Sand Beach from Gorham Mountain. Below: Christine's parents climb the Gorham Mountain Trail; Adam enjoys clearing skies and a view of the Bowl; Ocean scenery is spectacular along the Ocean Path.

Christine Says…

Even before I was an avid hiker, Gorham Mountain was always a hike I enjoyed.  By itself, the hike to the summit and back is less than two miles, requires very little climbing and offers magnificent views of the ocean, the rocky Maine coast and Sand Beach below.  If you walk the trail in late July or August, wild blueberries are abundant!

We decided to hike Gorham Mountain with my parents one morning during vacation.  We ate breakfast early and got to the trailhead before the crowds.  I really can’t stress enough how crowded Acadia trails get during the peak hours of 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.  I always suggest that people hike early or late, or rely on the Island Explorer bus (it’s FREE!) for transportation around the island.

On this particular trip, we actually drove separately from my parents because we wanted to extend our hike beyond the Gorham summit, and they did not.  The day before this hike had been overcast and a little drizzly and unfortunately, some of the gloomy weather was still lingering for our hike.  I was a little disappointed, because the lack of sunshine and blue skies always makes the ocean vista a little less colorful and sparkly.  I always prefer to hike Gorham on a ‘perfect Maine day’.   I would define ‘perfect’ as a sunny, 75 degree day with wispy or puffy clouds sitting in a deep blue sky.  There would be a light breeze and I would hear gulls crying and the sound of lobster boat motors in the distance.  There is nothing I love more than hiking Gorham on a day like this.

Even with the heavy clouds, the hike was still lovely and I enjoyed the company.  We hiked alongside my parents until we came to the junction of the Cadillac Cliffs trail.  At this point, hikers can choose to stay on the easier Gorham trail, or take a little extra challenge and scramble along the boulder-strewn cliff trail.  There aren’t any views from the Cadillac Cliffs trail, but climbing through caves and over enormous boulders is pretty fun.

Cadillac Cliffs. Below: Scenes along the Cadillac Cliffs Trail.

We met back up with my parents a few tenths of a mile later and made our final climb to the summit.  The views are spectacular all along this section of trail.  In fact, the views right before the summit are probably nicer than the actual summit.

We enjoyed the summit as a group for a while before Adam and I continued on our own.  The Gorham Mountain trail climbs downward, passing some interesting cliffs, before eventually joining The Bowl trail.   The Bowl trail climbs rather steeply uphill to a beautiful mountain lake.    The lake is surrounded by boardwalks and benches, and is one of the few bodies of water in Acadia where you can swim.  Many of the larger bodies of water are used for drinking water and swimming is prohibited.

There were a fair number of people sitting alongside the lake when we arrived.  We sat on a bench and almost immediately heard a child cry “Ohhh… that’s an eagle!”  Sure enough, we arrived just in time to see a bald eagle go gliding across the lake’s surface.  Talk about great timing!

The Bowl is a beautiful glacial pond you'll pass along this hike. Below: Christine checks out the interesting cliff face on the hike down from the Gorham Mountain summit; Trail marker at the junction for the Bowl trail; Thick crowds at Thunder Hole.

While we sat at the lake, the clouds really cleared off quickly and the day turned into that perfect Maine day I described a few paragraphs ago.  So beautiful!

We hiked back down the Bowl Trail, past the junction to the Beehive trail and down to the Park Loop Road.  The trail comes out right above Sand Beach, which is a great place to pick up the Ocean Path.  The Ocean Path is a flat walking trail that runs between the ocean and the road.  It’s very crowded almost all the time, and if you’re a faster hiker, you’ll have to dodge slowpokes.

From the Ocean Path, there are a ton of small side trails that lead down to the rocky coastline.  There are so many places to sit and enjoy the view!  The walk along the path goes on for about 1.3 miles and eventually passes by Thunder Hole.

When we passed Thunder Hole, it was so crowded we couldn’t even get down to the viewing platform without waiting in line.  We’ve seen Thunder Hole so many times so we didn’t stay long.  Besides, it wasn’t thundering at all.  The tide was so high that the sea cave stayed full of water regardless of the wave action.  There just wasn’t any force to create the sound the spot is named for.

The Gorham Mountain parking lot is just a tenth of a mile or so past Thunder Hole, so we were back at the car after a few more minutes of walking.  We headed straight to lunch in town – lobster rolls at the Portside Grill!

Adam Says…

Whenever we talk about going to Maine, one of the things we plan on every trip is a hike up Gorham Mountain.  In fact, a few years ago when we came up to the park and knew we had a whole week of rain ahead, we quickly got in a hike up Gorham.  As Christine mentioned, just going up Gorham Mountain is a short hike, so it is easy to fit in when you have a break in the weather.

The View from the Gorham Summit looking toward Otter Point. Below: Christine's parents enjoy the view; The rock pile marks the summit of Gorham Mountain.

You can find the parking lot to the trailhead on the right shortly after the Thunder Hole parking lot.  The trail starts off with lots of roots and granite to navigate and can be a little slippery if a storm has recently come through.  The trail consists of a gradual uphill climb and is a popular trail for people of all hiking levels.  At .2 miles, you reach the junction with the southern part of the Cadillac Cliffs trail.  This is definitely a more challenging side trail, that includes some rock scrambling.   If you want to try the Cadillac Cliffs trail, do it on the way up since it could be more treacherous going down.  The Cadillac Cliffs trail doesn’t really provide any great views, but it does have a small cave to go through and some interesting rocks to scramble.  By the time you reach the northern junction at .5 miles, you will likely need to catch your breath.  Rejoin the Gorham Mountain trail by taking a right at this junction.  You will continue to climb upward and will see lots of places to take in the views along the way.  At .9 miles, you will reach the 525 foot Gorham Mountain summit.  On the way up the mountain, you typically get views of Sand Beach and Great Head, but from the summit, you can also see Otter Cove, Day Mountain, Pemetic Mountain, and Cadillac Mountain.  We continued on the trail from the summit.  At 1.5 miles, you reach a junction with The Bowl Trail.  Take a left and climb up the steep terrain through the woods until you reach The Bowl at 2.0 miles.  From The Bowl, you can also see close glimpses of the summit of The Beehive and there is a trail that connects with it.  We took in the views around the lake and then went back down The Bowl Trail, towards the Park Loop Road.  At 3.2 miles you will reach the Park Loop Road.  Cross the road and proceed on the Ocean Path, heading past Sand Beach.  You will likely see tons of cars and people along the road between this point and Thunder Hole.  You should reach the Gorham Mountain parking lot around 4.4 miles.

Sand Beach from the Ocean Path. Below: If you look at the larger version of the Beehive photo below, you will see the long queue of people climbing the mountain; Adam enjoys the bench at the Bowl.

We had a funny moment when we first started the hike.  A family was coming back from the summit and spotted us with their trekking poles.  One little girl was asking why we were all using two ‘canes’to walk.  The parents had responded that we were “professional hikers”.  We got a few laughs out of that.  If only we could get paid to go hiking (or at least pay for some of our hiking gear).

There are many things about this hike that make it one of our favorites.  The blueberries are ripe during July and August and are plentiful on this trail.  I think I picked the largest, juiciest blueberry ever during this hike.  We always enjoy looking over Sand Beach.  You can see the dots of people on the beach, but not many in the water due to the temperature.  Walking back on the Ocean Path, you could hear the screams of children as they were being hit by the freezing waves.  You can also count on being able to see a lobster boats in the area, bringing up traps, or a large sailboat rounding the harbor.  You may also be able to catch a little rumbling from Thunder Hole, but the largest rumblings typically occur in the fall after a storm.

This area has also been where two recent movies have been filmed.  You can see Sand Beach in The Cider House Rules and nearby Otter Cliffs was used in Shutter Island.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 4.4 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 500 feet to the summit of Gorham and another shorter climb to the Bowl
  
• Difficulty – 2. This is an easy family hike, suitable for most fitness levels.
• Trail Conditions – 3. Trails in Acadia are always rocky and rooty and can be slick when wet.
  
• Views – 5.  Breathtaking!
• Waterfalls/Streams/Lakes – 4. The Bowl is a beautiful glacial pond.
  
• Wildlife – 3.  We saw an eagle – that counts for something!  We’ve heard that people occasionally see whales off in the distance, but we never have.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 4. Pay attention to the cairns and markers at trail junctions, and it’s hard to get lost.
  
• Solitude – 0.  This is an extremely popular area.  No matter when you hike it, you will see people.
  

Directions to trailhead: The trailhead is located in the Gorham Mountain parking lot on the Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park.   The parking lot is about .5 mile south of Thunder Hole.

View Larger Map

Rohrbaugh Cliffs at Sunset. Below: Gearing up at the car before starting the hike; Making the short walk down Forest Road 75; Adam points out our route on the trail sign.

Christine and Adam Say…

For this particular post, we decided to team up and write one massive post, instead of the normal ‘He Says, She Says’versions. Enjoy!)

Last year, we participated in a Potomac Appalachian Trail Club workshop called Backpacking 101 (read part one, part two, and part three).  Initially, we were scheduled to do an overnight trip to the Dolly Sods Wilderness as a ‘graduation’ from our class.  Sadly, we ended up missing that trip because Christine’s ankle sprain still hadn’t healed enough for the rigors of backpacking.  While the make-up trip we eventually did to Hazel Mountain in Shenandoah National Park was great, we still wanted to do an overnight trip in Dolly Sods. For the best maps of the area, print off the Northeast and Southeast sections of these maps.

Dolly Sods is such a unique area for the mid-Atlantic region. It’s the only area close to us with a sub-Arctic tundra climate – loaded with heath barrens, blueberry bushes, acidic bogs and coniferous forest.  You feel like you’re somewhere far north of West Virginia when you visit this wilderness area.

The route we chose through Dolly Sods was of a length and difficulty we would typically choose for an easy day hike.  (5 miles with 900 feet of elevation change)  But we decided it would be fun to do an easy hike and enjoy camping at one of the most beautiful sites in the entire Monongahela National Forest’s wilderness area.

We also were lucky to have some awesome company for this trip.  In Backpacking 101, we met a nice couple – Suzanne and Anthony.  We enjoyed hanging out with them on our class trip to Hazel Mountain and had stayed in touch with them ever since.  We tried planning trips together a couple times, but until this trip our schedules just hadn’t matched up.  We were thrilled when plans finally came together for this Fourth of July weekend trip.

Day One:

Suzanne and Anthony drove down to our house on Friday night so we would have time to go through all our gear before getting an early(ish) start on Saturday morning.  We spent most of the evening fiddling with our packs, splitting up shared gear and contemplating how many Clif bars we truly needed to survive our expedition. That evening, it looked like an REI store exploded in our basement.  We laughed about how much stuff we had to pack for just one night of camping.  We ran through our checklist to make sure we had everything – stove, tent, sleeping bag, clothes, food, emergency kit, etc.

On Saturday, we had a big breakfast and were out the door a little after 9:30.  We didn’t make it to the trailhead until after 1:00.  We made a stop at Seneca Rocks Visitor’s Center and ended up buying another trail guide and a new map for West Virginia hiking.  (Not for use on this trip, but just to have for the future.) We also stopped at the Subway in Franklin, WV to grab sandwiches to have for lunch on the trail.

When we got to the Fisher Springs Run trailhead, the parking lot was overflowing with cars.  A couple people had decided to park sideways in the lot instead of straight-on, so they took up space that could have accommodated five or six more cars.  It was a little annoying and worrisome – would we get out to Rohrbaugh Cliffs and find all the prime campsites already occupied?  We ended up parking a short distance down Forest Road 75, in a patch of dirt just wide enough to get our car off the road.

The forest floor was a sea of ferns. Below: Adam hikes along the Fisher Springs Run Trail; The trail junction of Fisher Springs and Rohrbaugh Plains; Subway for lunch; Our huge pile of packs; Adam traverses a rocky section of trail, Suzanne crosses a small stream.

We found space to shove the sandwiches into Suzanne’s pack, slathered ourselves with sunscreen and bug spray, and got to the business of walking.  Almost immediately after stepping off the dusty, gravel forest road onto the trail, we found ourselves ensconced in a cool, lush, green forest.  Ferns spread across the ground for as far as the eye could see.  The trail descended gradually, occasionally crossing small, mostly dry streams.  The trail got rockier as we followed it for a little over a mile to its junction with the Rohrbaugh Plains trail.  We stopped at the trail junction and ate our lunch.  We chatted with a passing backpacker who was doing a 19-mile loop through Dolly Sods.  She was on a solo trip and told us she was headed down into the Red Creek basin.  We asked her if she had noticed many camps set up near the cliffs.  She said she hadn’t seen anyone, so we took that as a hopeful sign.

After lunch, we took a left onto the Rohrbaugh Plains trail.  The trail at this point was all rocks.  They almost looked fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle.  Almost immediately after the rocky patch, we dipped deeply into a ravine with a pretty flowing stream.  It was a perfect water source for backpacking. We figured that in the worst case scenario, we could hike back to this point to fetch water for cooking and cleaning at camp.

The last 1.2 miles to our campsite ascended ever so slightly, winding past giant mossy boulders and through dense thickets of rhododendron.  With about a half mile to go, we passed another trail junction with the Wildlife Trail.  Taking the Wildlife Trail to the Rohrbaugh Plains trail is probably the most popular route for day hikers to reach Rohrbaugh Cliffs.  After this trail junction, we crossed a swampy, muddy area and walked across a grassy meadow.  A couple tenths of a mile past the meadow, we came to a beautiful clearing where we ended up making camp.

Crossing the meadow. Below: Christine and Adam's camp; Adam collects water for cooking and cleaning; Anthony and Suzanne's camp.

There were so many soft, flat spots that were perfect for our tents!  We chose a couple spots located out of sight of the trail.  We had a fire pit, a nice place for cooking, a view and shady trees.  It was nothing short of perfect.

It felt great to shed our packs and get to work setting up camp.  Our Mountain Hardwear tent (the Drifter 3) is super-simple and was pitched in just a few moments.  While Adam worked on staking the tent, Christine inflated our Big Agnes pads.  We put them in the tent along with our sleeping bags, so they’d have some time to re-fluff after being compressed in stuff sacks all day.

On this backpacking trip, we had a few new and exciting ‘creature comforts’.  Since our last backpacking trip, we acquired Alite camp chairs.  They’re so comfortable and lightweight!  We also both got the large Thermarest pillows.  They’re really bulky and take up a ton of pack space, but they’re very lightweight and make a world’s difference for getting comfortable at night.  Christine also brought a fitted sheet for her sleeping pad.  Even though the sheet is made by Thermarest, it fits the Big Agnes pad perfectly.  A sheet is not a necessity, but it definitely improves the texture and breathability of your sleeping pad.  Christine especially hates feeling clammy or slippery when she’s trying to sleep, so having the sheet made a huge difference.  Neither of us actually sleep inside our sleeping bag unless it’s freezing cold.  We prefer to open our bags up and use them like quilts.

After we finished setting up our tent, we carried our cooking stuff down to our kitchen area.  We also pulled out all our ‘smellables’ and set them aside so they could easily be stowed away in our hanging bear bag.  Christine found a couple branch stubs to hang our trekking poles and our packs. We both covered our packs with garbage bags in case it rained overnight.

Anthony and Suzanne were still working on getting there camp set up, so we decided to go on a water run.  We hadn’t passed a better water source after the stream near the trail junction, so we took our collapsible bucket and headed back down the trail.  Filling up was easy, but getting two gallons of water in a soft-sided bucket back to camp without spilling anything over a 1.2 mile distance was substantially trickier!  We were very thankful we went as a pair to get water, because it was nice to trade off carrying the bucket. We joked that it was like being in a challenge on some adventure reality show.  We made it back without much spillage at all!

When we got back, Anthony and Suzanne were all set up, so we decided to walk a few hundred feet further down the trail to explore the cliffs.  Rohrbaugh Cliffs were spectacular.  The view into the valley below was all wilderness – not a single road or farm or house – just mountains and streams for as far as the eye could see.

Adam on Rohrbaugh Cliffs. Below: Wild, ripe blueberries; A cute frog that visited our camp; Rosebay Rhododendron were in bloom; Our group on Rohrbaugh Cliffs; A couple more views of the cliffside.

We visited the area at a truly beautiful time of year.  The Rosebay Rhododendrons were just starting to bloom.  The mountain laurel was a bit past peak, but there were still plenty of flowers to enjoy.  And best of all WILD BLUEBERRIES were everywhere along the cliffs!  Suzanne and Christine were significantly more excited about the berries than the guys and spent a lot of time searching for ripe berries tucked into the bushes.

Most of the late afternoon was spent relaxing near camp and getting dinner ready.  Around 5:30, Adam got out the JetBoil and boiled water for all of our dinners.  We had wanted to come up with some homemade backpacking recipes, but never got our act together.  Adam and Christine ended up eating Backpacker’s Pantry Chicken Risotto with Mocha Mousse Pie for dessert.  It was satisfying and very filling!  Anthony and Suzanne had macaroni and cheese and blueberry cobbler from some backpacking meal company (AlpineAire) none of us had heard of before.  They were pretty happy with their dinner, too.

Chef Adam filters and boils water for dinner. Below: Chicken Risotto for dinner; Anthony and Suzanne relax after dinner; Playing Monopoly on the cliffs; Hanging our bear bag.

We cleaned up our dishes, brushed our teeth (We love Wisps for backpacking) and hoisted our bear bag into the highest, safest tree we could find.  We decided to play cards and watch sunset from the cliffs.  We found a big flat rock near the edge and played the card version of Monopoly. The game took a long time, and Adam eventually won.  The sky turned to hues of pink and soft purple and the sun dipped down behind the mountains.  It was so beautiful!

Shortly before full dark, a couple more groups of backpackers showed up – maybe five people and two dogs.  They set up their camps down the trail from us.  So even though we weren’t the only people up there, we still felt like we had a good measure of solitude.  It definitely was not the situation we feared when we saw the packed parking lot at the trailhead. We’re guessing most of the other backpackers ended up along Red Creek.

Once the sun was down, we all retreated to our tents.  Christine listened to a book on her iPod for a while.  By the light of his headlamp, Adam enjoyed reading some of his book by John Muir.  He’s been reading this book exclusively on backpacking trips.  It’s a nice tribute to read something by the ultimate outdoorsman while having our own experience with nature.

Christine started getting really sleepy, so she stowed her iPod away and dozed off, only to be woken almost immediately by the sound of fireworks in the valley below.  We think we heard fireworks shows from three different locations, because there were definitely three distinct grand finales.  The booming sounds and bursts of light in the sky came from different directions, too.  We contemplated leaving our tent and going back out to the cliffs to see if we could see the fireworks from above, but we ended up staying put. Christine didn’t feel like getting dressed again. When all was said and done, we kind of regretted not going back out to see the fireworks.

Eventually the fireworks drew to a close, and Christine drifted back to sleep.  Unfortunately, Adam did not sleep that well on this trip.  He was physically comfortable, but he just wasn’t tired enough to sleep soundly.  Going to bed shortly after sunset just isn’t what his body is used to, so he did a lot of tossing and turning during the night.

Our sunset card game. Below: Layers of mountains frame the Red Creek Valley; We had a pretty sunset; Suzanne takes a few final photos of the evening sky.

Around 2:30 a.m., Adam shook Christine awake to close the rainfly on the tent – a storm was approaching.  Christine stumbled and grumbled and totally failed at closing the fly.  Adam had to crawl over her to get both sides of the tent closed.  Christine completely lacks dexterity when she’s half asleep. The storm never really materialized beyond some lightning and wind.  We both fell back to sleep and didn’t wake up again until about 6:15.  Christine said it was the best night of sleep she’s ever had in a tent.

Day Two

Shortly after sunrise, we got out of the tent and took a walk over to the cliffs.  Christine thought there might be some pretty morning light, but it was completely cloudy.  Back at camp, we started breaking down our tent, deflating our sleeping pads and re-stuffing our sleeping bags.  We got the bear bag down and got everything ready to cook breakfast.

Christine tried Starbuck’s instant coffee, Via, for the first time.  It was surprisingly delicious.  Once she added sweetener and powdered Coffeemate, it tasted almost identical to a cup of brewed coffee.  In addition to coffee, we had boxes of apple-grape juice and instant maple-brown sugar oatmeal.  We figured that would be plenty of food to give us energy for the short hike out.

After everyone was done with breakfast, we finished packing up and cleaning up our camp area.  We were back on the trail by 8:45.  Our exit route simply retraced the trail we had hiked in.  We were back at the car by 10:15.

Breaking camp in the morning. Below: Fat Boy's Pork Palace for lunch!

On the way home, we stopped at Fat Boy’s Pork Palace for lunch.  With a name like that, you know it’s going to have perfect options for a post-backpacking calorie splurge!  We enjoyed BBQ sandwiches with coleslaw and French fries.  Suzanne got breakfast and Anthony got a burger.  It was all delicious!

Once we were back at our house, we split up our group gear and saw Anthony and Suzanne on their way.  Christine said her post-backpacking shower might have been one of the best showers of her entire life.  It always feels awesome to wash away DEET, sunscreen and sweat!

We all had a great time on the trip. We’re already trying to plan our next backpacking adventure for some time in September!  Although, it’s going to be hard to top the scenery at Dolly Sods!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.2 miles total. (plus an additional 2.4 mile walk back to fetch water for camp)
  
• Elevation Change – 900 feet.  The Fisher Springs Run trail descends about 500 feet and the Rohraugh Plains ascends about 400 feet.
  
• Difficulty – 2.  The hike was not that difficult, even with 35 pounds on my back.
• Trail Conditions – 3.  The trail was well-maintained, but there are lots of rocky spots where you could turn your ankle.
  
• Views –5.  The views from Rohrbaugh cliffs were quite spectacular and it was nice to see the sun disappear over the mountains.
  
• Wildlife – 1.  We were expecting to see some wildlife up here, but we didn’t see anything other than squirrels, frogs and some birds.  We did wake up to the sounds of dark-eyed juncos in the morning.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  There are not any blazes on trails at Dolly Sods, but the trails are very well-defined and signs are in place to mark junctions.  Stay on the trail as much as possible and you won’t have any trouble.  I can imagine that when leaves fall and cover the trail in the fall, it would be more challenging to find the trail.
  
• Solitude – 4.  On a nice day, you may see some people at the overlook. 
  

Directions to trailhead:  From Seneca Rocks, go North on WV 28 for 12 miles.  Take a left on Jordan Run Road.  Go one mile up Jordan Run Road and take a left on to Forest Road 19.  In 6 miles, Forest Road 19 comes to a T on to Forest Road 75.  Take a right, heading north on Forest Road 75.  Drive for three miles until reaching the small parking lot and the trailhead for Fisher Springs Run.


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A view of Sharp Top from just below the Flat Top summit. Below: Starting out on the Flat Top trail; The trailhead was decorated with lilies; The junction of the trail down to Cross Rock is right at the Pinnacle.

Christine Says…

Last week, we were home on a week long ‘staycation’.  Most of the week, we relaxed at home, sleeping in and watching movies.  When Wednesday turned out to be cool and breezy with low humidity, we decided to get up early and go for a day hike in the Peaks of Otter area of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  We’ve hiked Sharp Top many times, but I had never really considered hiking the companion peak.  Adam had always described the hike up Flat Top as steep and lacking any spectacular views.  But, we’d read a few more positive descriptions of the views, so we decided to give the trail a shot.

When we got to the trailhead, it was almost chilly.  Personally, I think chilly weather is always welcome in the middle of summer!  The hike was all uphill, passing hillsides of ferns, giant boulders and patches of red columbine.  The first point of interest we came to was the Pinnacle.  It offered panoramic views of the valley.  We could even see the Blue Ridge Parkway snaking through the mountains across the valley.

A view from the Pinnacle. Below: The trail was often lined with ferns; There were many giant boulders along the trail; Cross Rock was underwhelming.

At the Pinnacle, there is sign marking a side trail down to Cross Rock.  We assumed Cross Rock would be another outcropping with nice views.  We were quite wrong. Instead, it was a brutally steep descent to a rock formation in the shape of a cross.  Others might find Cross Rock to be fascinating, but I think I would have passed on the side trail if I had known I was just going to look at some rocks.

From the Cross Rock junction, the trail became steeper and rockier.  We continued climbing for the last half mile to the summit of Flat Top.  At first, we were a little confused because the summit marker was buried in the trees.  Our hiking book had described the views from the top as panoramic and majestic.  We eventually found a little path through the brush leading to a rocky outcropping with views.  It was a little below the actual summit.  The views from that point were nice, but I wouldn’t describe them as generously as our hiking guide did.  If you climbed out to the edge, stood and peered beyond the trees, you could see Sharp Top.  Overall, I think the view from the Pinnacle was much nicer than the view from the summit.

We relaxed on the rocks for a while, then made our way down the trail.  The trail going down was really slick from the thunderstorms the night before.  On one steep section, I slipped and fell hard on my left knee.  At first, I was really worried I may have banged it up badly enough to jeopardize our planned backpacking trip.  Fortunately, I was able to walk it off and only suffered a bruise.

The downhill hike seemed endless at times after I hurt my knee, but we got back to the car in less than an hour. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Peakview Dining Room in the Peaks of Otter lodge.

Adam Says…

The Peaks of Otter place has a special place in my heart, since this was where my family would often visit for a picnic.  I have hiked up the sister peak, Sharp Top, countless times, but I have only been up Flat Top a few times.  The times that I had approached the peak of Flat Top, we had started out from the trailhead from the Peaks of Otter picnic area.  I remember that path being very steep and forested, with views that were mostly through the trees.  After consulting our Falcon Guide of Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway, it mentioned great views and starting from the actual Blue Ridge Parkway to shave off some of the elevation gain.  We decided to check out this path instead of the way I had experienced.

View just below the Flat Top summit. Below: The actual summit of Flat Top is in the trees; Adam took a photo of Christine with the camera's manual settings customized for a sunny landscape shot - oops!; Inside the Peaks of Otter lodge.

The start of this trail begins around mile marker 83.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of the Peaks of Otter Lodge.   There is a parking lot on the eastern side and you will see a brown sign denoting the beginning of the Flat Top trail. The trail starts off by slowly elevating through the forest in more of a gradual ascent.  Around .6 miles, the trail turns sharply to the left and you begin a series of switchbacks that last until you reach the junction with the Cross Rock trail at 2.1 miles.  At this junction you reach what is termed the pinnacle.  If you crawl out on the outcropping of rocks near you, you are at the Pinnacle, which provides the best views on this hike.  You have the option of climbing down to Cross Rock, but this is not a great viewpoint, just an interesting rock formation.  Follow the signs up the last .5 miles to reach the Flat Top summit at 4,001 feet.  You will see the summit marker in the middle of the woods.  Continue past the summit marker slightly for a short sidepath onto a rock outcropping that will give you some nice views.  Continue back the way you came.

This path up Flat Top was better than my memories of hiking up from the picnic area.  The views from the Pinnacle are gorgeous and you would miss out on this if you did the hike from the picnic area.  The hike back down from the summit felt steeper than going up and there were loose rocks that required you to keep an eye on your footing.  Take trekking poles to help secure your footing.  There is one geocache on the hike, but I forgot to plug in the coordinates before we left:

• A Flat Top Reflection

The one thing that Flat Top has over the Sharp Top hike is more solitude. Sometimes it seems that Sharp Top is crawling with large groups of hikers, but you will likely only see a few people on the Flat Top hike.  Sharp Top does have better viewpoints, but this is a nice hike to do if you have more time to spend in the area.  If you are interested and not too exhausted, you can also cross the road from the parking lot for a short 1.6 mile hike to Fallingwater Cascades.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.4 miles (including the optional .2 mile side trail to Cross Rock)
  
• Elevation Change – 1391 feet
  
• Difficulty – 3.  The hike is steady uphill climbing and get rockier the higher you climb.
• Trail Conditions – 2.  The trail is very rocky and is rather overgrown in places.
  
• Views –3.5  The view from the Pinnacle is beautiful, but views from the summit are somewhat obstructed.
  
• Wildlife – 0.  We didn’t see anything.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3.5.  The trail itself is easy to follow, but at the summit there is no clear pointer to the best overlook.  The technical summit is buried in the woods, but by following community trails you can climb onto rocky outcroppings to gain a view.
  
• Solitude – 2.5.  Compared to Sharp Top, this trail is lightly traveled.  But due to the popularity of the Peaks of Otter area, you will likely see other hikers.
  

Directions to trailhead: At mile marker 83.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, north of the Peaks of Otter Lodge.   Park in the lot on the eastern side and a brown sign denotes the beginning of the Flat Top trail.

Adam takes in the view from the Piedmont Overlook. Below: Mt. Bleak House was built in 1843 and is open for tours; An Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker makes his way down the trail (he is in the far left of the photo, beyond the dogwood trees); A cute village in the valley below.

Adam Says…

This hike was amazing!  I can’t believe that we had never been to Sky Meadows State Park until now.  Each year, Christine and I pull a list of hikes together that we want to try and cover.  When I was looking through the Falcon Guide Hiking Virginia book, they mentioned under “other hikes” to try the Sky Meadows State Park.  I am shocked that the authors didn’t feature a trail through this area rather than leaving it as a footnote.  I think this is one of the best hikes in Virginia for views.  I would liken the scenery and open views to those you would find at Cole Mountain or Grayson Highlands/Mount Rogers.  Put this on your list of “must hikes” – you won’t regret it!

Pick up a trail map at the park entrance or download one.  Across from the Visitor Center, you will see the Park Office on the hillside.  Walk past the large board showing the map of hiking trails and walk up the gravel path that leads into the woods.  Once you reach the fork, take a left and continue down the gravel Boston Mill road.  Continue on this road, passing by the junction with the Gap Run trail, until you come to the junction with the South Ridge trail at .45 miles.

The Snowden House ruins. Below: We crossed this small stream early in the hike. It's probably dry most of the year; Adam makes his way up the South Ridge Trail; Adam reads information about Snowden; Dogwoods were at their peak.

Take a right on to the yellow-blazed South Ridge Trail.  The trail begins to quickly climb up the steep hillside.  At .5 miles, there is a short spur trail to a nice view.  At .58 miles, you will come to the Snowden Ruins.  You’ll see the foundation of the old homestead along with what is left of a stone chimney.  Further up the trail, you will come to the South Ridge overlook which sits under a dogwood tree.  Continue along the trail which tends to ascend most of the way.  At 2.2 miles, you will reach a junction with the North Ridge trail.  Take a left up the blue-blazed North Ridge Trail.  At 2.6 miles, you will reach a junction with the white-blazed Appalachian trail.  Take a right, heading north on the Appalachian Trail.  At 3.5 miles, you will come to a fork.

Take a right at the fork to go on to the light blue-blazed Ambassador Whitehouse trail.  At 3.9 miles, you will come to the Paris overlook viewpoint, which also provides gorgeous panoramic views.  After this viewpoint, the trail descends back through the woods.  At 4.53 take a left back on to the North Ridge trail, but in just a few feet you will take a left up the red Piedmont Overlook trail.

Adam under the Dogwoods. Below: Hepatica; Tiger Swallowtail; Mayapple Flower

The trail ascends through a steep section here, but you will climb up a few stairs and then reach a wider trail that leads to a few benches and the Upper Piedmont Overlook.  Enjoy the views here and as you climb down to the Lower Piedmont Overlook.  After passing by an old farm building, you will climb over a few stairs and then down until you come back to the Boston Mill Road at mile 5.1.   Take a left on the road and you should be making your way back to your vehicle and the Visitor Center.

The land that became Sky Meadows State Park was donated by Paul Mellon (son of Andrew Mellon – U.S. Secretary of State from 1921-1932), a famous philanthropist, art collector, and Kentucky Derby-winning horse owner.   He donated 1132 acres of the land in 1975 and later more donations (including the land for the Appalachian Trail) have taken it up to the current 1862 acres.  The history of the land also dates back to Lord Fairfax and previous owners had ties to Belle Grove.

This really was a perfect day to do this hike!  We started off the day with a trip through Shenandoah National Park to view some early morning wildlife and to take in some breakfast at Skyland.  We then made our way to Front Royal and headed to Sky Meadows State Park.  The weather was perfect for hiking with highs in the 70s and a breeze throughout.  The sky was very clear with a few clouds, but no threat of rain.  The views were extraordinary and I can’t wait to come back some time.

Adam find the Hiking Upward Cache. Below: Lunch on the trail; Turning onto the AT; Making our way across the high meadows.

If you are interested in geocaching, there are several geocaches to find on this loop:

Christine Says…

Last Saturday was a perfect spring day.  We got up before sunrise and drove through the central and north districts of Shenandoah National park en route to Sky Meadows State Park for a day of hiking. (Passing through Shenandoah, we saw a bear and had a good breakfast at Skyland!)

Sky Meadows was established in the early 1980s and is home to a beautiful restored Civil-war era farm and twelve miles of hiking trails – including a little snip of the Appalachian Trail.  Sky Meadows is unique in that its campground has no car access.  Anyone wishing to stay overnight has to hike in to their campsite.

We parked at Mt. Bleak House.  From there, we hiked down a gravel path leading to the park’s network of trails.  Finding the trail we wanted to start on was a little tricky, because park maps were not to scale.  After a little fumbling around, we were on our way up the South Ridge Trail.  The trail climbed slowly and steadily uphill, past the ruins of Snowden – another old farm within the park’s boundary.  All that’s left standing of Snowden is a crumbling chimney and a number of foundations from outbuildings.  The site has a plaque describing the house and the people that lived there many years ago.

From Snowden, the path ascended continually passing through open meadows and pretty forest.  The dogwoods and redbuds were all near their peak of spring glory.  The flowers on the trees were truly spectacular against the perfect blue sky.  The breeze kept bugs (and sweating) at bay!  It really was ideal weather to be outdoors.

A Beautiful Redbud along the trail. Below: A view into the valley from the Piedmont Overlook; More Views; A spectacular dogwood.

For a while, the trail was pretty level as it passed through thicker woods.  We startled a turkey and watched it fly off, chortling and gobbling in dismay at being disturbed.  I must say… turkeys look really funny in flight.  The trail in this area was lined with lots of tiny wildflowers – mostly violets and hepatica.

Eventually, we started climbing again and came to the junction of the North Ridge and South Ridge trails.  We contemplated stopping for lunch at this point, but decided to press on, following the North Ridge trail to where it meets Appalachian Trail.  Another nice thing about Sky Meadows… there are benches at most trail junctions and overlooks.  It’s nice to have a comfortable place to sit and eat lunch – away from ticks, poison ivy and other crawly things.  We ended up using the bench along the Appalachian Trail for our picnic spot.

For lunch, we feasted on sandwiches, brownies, grapes and cheese.   Adam was eating his cheese and looking especially contemplative, when he turned and asked me “What kind of cheese is this?”  I responded “It’s mozzarella and cheddar twisted together.  You don’t like it?”  He said “No, it’s really GOOD… it sort of tastes like lobster dipped in melted butter!”  It’s weird, but he was actually kind of right – something about the texture of warmish mozzarella blended with the flavor of sharper cheddar ended up tasting remarkably like lobster. We’ve taken to calling this particular cheese snack ‘Lobster Cheese’.

While we ate lunch, we watched several other groups of hikers pass by.  No one really seemed to know where they were going.  Someone asked us if Harper’s Ferry was where the Appalachian Trail began.  Someone asked if they were already in Shenandoah National Park.  Two guys with cigarettes, sodas and no hiking gear contemplated aloud to one another “Should we go to Shenandoah or Harper’s Ferry?” (they were 20+ miles from either destination.)

After lunch, we headed north along the Appalachian Trail for a short while.  Along the ridge, the forest completely opened up to high meadows with amazing views into the valley below.  We were walking along the trail, chatting, when a fast hiker snuck up and passed us from behind.  He turned out to be the first AT thru-hiker we’ve seen in Virginia this year.   He’s definitely ahead of the pack!

We passed this old farm building on the hike down the Piedmont Overlook Trail. Below: A pretty lone tree; Adam stands in the middle of a huge four-trunked tree.

We really enjoyed walking across the open meadow terrain.  Most hikes we do are through thick forest, so this was a welcome change of pace.

At the junction of the Ambassador House Trail, the Appalachian Trail continued north and we turned right to make our way across more meadows and downhill to the Piedmont Overlook Trail.  We dipped back into forested area and passed a really cool four-trunked tree.  It was big enough for Adam to stand inside between all the trunks.

We took the optional arm of the trail uphill to get to the actual Piedmont Overlook, which was beautiful!  I loved seeing all the little houses and farms below in the valley.  From the overlook, the remainder of the hike was steeply downhill across open meadow.

Mt. Bleak House Grounds. Below: A couple other shots from the Mt. Bleak grounds.

We arrived back on the gravel road and made our way back to the Mt. Bleak House area.  We stopped in the gift shop and chatted with the ranger.  We overheard her asking everyone walking in “Did you hike today?” and pretty much everyone answered “No – we’re just here to picnic!”  So, I made a point to tell her that we had hiked, had a great time and thought the park’s trail system was fantastic and very nicely maintained.  Adam got his passport book stamped and got credit for finding the state park’s official geocache.  We took a few minutes to poke around the farm and talk to two historical interpreters – one of them in a wonderful Zouave uniform.

We enjoyed our day in Sky Meadows very much.  It’s definitely a park we’ll visit again.

On our way home, we stopped briefly in Linden, Va to buy apple butter-cinnamon donuts from the Apple House.  If you’re in the area – you should do the same – they’re delicious!

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.5 miles.
  
• Elevation Change – 1100 feet with one large climb in the beginning of the hike.  It’s mostly downhill or flat afterwards.
• Difficulty –2.5. The beginning section is the toughest and is not for every person, but if you take it slow most people will be fine.
• Trail Conditions – 4. It is very well-maintained.  The only rocky section was the .3 mile section on the North Ridge Trail.  The trail is wide in most places for two people to walk side-by-side.  Some sections you are even walking on soft grass.
  
• Views – 5. You have lots of views along this hike of the valley and farm below.  On a clear day, you can see for miles!
• Waterfalls/streams – 1. You cross one small stream in the beginning. It’s probably dry most of the year.
  
• Wildlife – 2. We only saw one wild turkey and some other birds (there are bluebird boxes along the road).  They have spotted golden eagles in the area recently.
  
• Ease to Navigate – 3. There are many options and junctions with other trails and the trails are not that well marked along the way.  While I don’t think a lot of people get lost up here, I do think some people take wrong turns before deciding they may have not gone the best way.  Take a trail map!
• Solitude – 2. You will likely see people along the trail.  However, I think most of these people will be within a mile of the visitor’s center.  While we did see several people, you should be able to find your peace along the trail to soak in the views.
  

Directions to trailhead: From Route 17, turn on to Edmonds Lane as you see the sign for Sky Meadows State Park.  Follow this road until you reach the parking lot in front of Mt. Bleak House.  Park your car here and then walk past the large billboard with hiking trails on the small gravel path near the Park Office House.  All of the hiking trails start once you reach the junction on the edge of the woods.  Take a left to start your hike.

Adam makes his way along the Appalachian Trail up to the top of Bear's Den Mountain. Below: Adam and Wookie pose at the Beagle Gap sign; This white blaze looked like it was painted on a headstone; Adam passes some giant rocks along the trail.

Adam Says…

Those that have been following our blog may know that we have been working on hiking the Appalachian Trail through Shenandoah National Park in smaller sections.  On this day, we decided to handle the stretch between Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap in the south district.  We left one vehicle at the junction of I-64 before the pay station at the park’s south entrance.  We then drove into the park and parked at the Beagle Gap parking area (not the Beagle Gap overlook).

The Appalachian Trail crosses the road at this gravel parking lot.  We crossed the road from the parking lot and headed through the gate.   Take a left as soon as you go through the gate and walk through the field .  The south-bound AT then climbs rather steeply through some open areas and crosses over a fire road early on the trail.  At .5 miles, you reach a communication tower and some old tractor seats.  I’m sure that many AT thru-hikers have enjoyed taking a brief rest on these seats.  At one point, I’m sure these seats provided a nice place to view the western sunset, but now the trees in front have blocked some of the scenery from view.  Continue past this area and keep following the white blazes to stay on the trail.  At the one-mile marker, you will come to another communication tower.  Stay on the white-blazed AT and the trail begins to descend.  At 2.0 miles, the trail reaches McCormick Gap and crosses Skyline Drive.  Cross the road and you will come to a small ladder stile that will lead you on to private land.

This part of the trail is on private land, but hiking on the AT is allowed.  As soon as you cross over the stile, you will see a weathered sign pointing the way to continue on the Appalachian Trail.  This section of the AT is very steep as it winds up Scott Mountain.  At 2.4 miles, the trail levels off and you will begin to enjoy some obstructed views (probably very limited during the spring and summer months) of Waynesboro and the farmlands around the city.  At 3.0 miles, you will begin several miles of very gradual descent (with some uphills thrown in) until you come out onto Skyline Drive.  Continue to follow the road for a brief walk back to your car, crossing a bridge over I-64 before reaching your vehicle.

This is one of the few open, meadow-like sections of the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park. Below: This section of the trail uses an easement on private land; Some colorful dried plants on the mountainside; An open and barren view from Bear's Den Mountain.

The hike from Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was an interesting section of the AT.  The way up to the communication towers included some of the more open areas of the park.  Most hikes in Shenandoah National Park involve hiking through the woods, but this first two-mile section gives you nice views around.  When we got to the communication tower, it was interesting to think of what would have been here before these towers existed.  I can just imagine people in the 1950s hiking up from the road to view the sunset and perhaps having a picnic at the top.  You can also read an interesting history on the area on PATC’s website here which explains the use of Rockfish Gap during the Revolutionary War.  I also found an interesting print of Rockfish Gap and the mountain house, showing how the views from the end of this hike may have looked back in the day.  I’m glad we did this hike before Spring hit, since many of the views through the woods would have been obstructed with leaves on the trees.

Christine Says…

Well, winter is over and we didn’t meet our goal of finishing the entire AT through Shenandoah.  In fact, we’re still less than a quarter of the way there.  The road through the park was closed so often this winter, that it was really tough for us to get to the sections we needed to hike.  The section we hiked most recently, Beagle Gap to Rockfish Gap was a shorter segment than we usually like to hike.  Adam’s knee was bothering him, we wanted to take Wookie and we had a limited amount of time, so the 5.7 mile segment ended up being perfect for the day.

Old tractor seats are planted in the ground next to the radio towers on Bear's Den Mountain. Below: The radio towers; Wookie enjoys relaxing on a tractor seat.

The day was so pretty and warm!  The skies were crystal clear and blue, but there weren’t really any signs of spring in the mountains yet.  I led Wookie on his leash – which was a little bit tricky to do with my trekking poles.  He kept yanking them slightly forward or to the side, especially on uphills and downhills.  Wookie is actually really well-mannered on a leash – but he likes to walk up and down hill much faster than I do!  I envy his energy.

We took a short break atop Bear’s Den Mountain to enjoy the open views.  The radio towers are a distraction from the natural beauty of the area, but I suppose they’re necessary.  Upon leaving the summit, the trail was actually a little bit confusing.  There were some unmarked side trails that crossed the path.  The fire road that runs alongside the trail was also somewhat misleading.  Luckily, the AT through Shenandoah is generously marked with white blazes and even when we took the wrong path, we were quickly able to notice the lack of blazes and set ourselves right.

Adam climbs the stile heading south out of McCormick Gap. Below: A beat up old AT sign; Wookie and Adam share some trail mix; The PATC does a great job maintaining trails and shelters along the AT in Shenandoah.

I noticed that this section of Appalachian Trail was a bit more up and down than typical for the park.  The climb down and up through McCormick Gap is actually quite steep – especially the southbound climb up leaving Skyline Drive.  That was really the only tough section of this hike.

Once we were out of McCormick Gap, the remainder of the hike was a gentle series of rolling ups and downs (mostly).  We passed a lot of giant boulders, had a snack, crossed a shallow stream, and enjoyed the views looking down into Waynesboro.  We passed a couple other hikers headed north and saw one southbound backpacker. Soon, Skyline Drive and the distant interstate came into view and we were back at the car.

Wookie Says…

When I heard Christine and Adam talking about hiking from Beagle Gap, I knew I had to come along.  I was assuming that this was an area that beagles gathered, so I thought it would be great.  But alas, there were no beagles around.  We hiked up to the communication towers and I got to sit on the old tractor seats.  I was a little skeptical at first, but I found a good seat to enjoy the views and relax a little.  I had two big highlights on the hike.  The first was meeting Winnie.  Winnie was another pug that I met on the trail.  Her master was a PATC member that actually maintains this section of the trail.  It was impressive to learn that Winnie’s master also backpacked the entire Shenandoah National Park over ten days for her 70th birthday!  I’m always a little nervous meeting new dogs on the trail, but it’s nice to see some other hiking pugs out there.  My second highlight had to be the snack that I had.  Adam gave me a few bites of Cinnamon Apple Pie trail mix which included some dehydrated apple bits, cinammon-covered yogurt, and pecans.  It was a great boost to give me some energy to finish the hike.  Overall, the trail wasn’t too tough for me.  There are a few steep sections in the beginning and from McCormick Gap up to Scott Mountain, but by the end I was proudly leading the way.

Trail Notes

• Distance – 5.7 miles
  
• Elevation Change – 800 feet
• Difficulty –2.5. There are a few uphill steep sections heading southbound, but the longest stretch of them is .3 miles.
• Trail Conditions –4. The trail is well-maintained and the footing was great.
• Views – 3.5. The best views are during the beginning of the trail before you reach the communication towers.  There are obstructed views towards the second half of the trail.
• Waterfalls/streams – 0. Non-existent.
• Wildlife – 1. Other than birds, we didn’t see much wildlife here.  
• Ease to Navigate –3. The only tricky section was around the communication towers.  You just want to be sure you follow the white-blazed trail.  I believe the other trails from the communication towers will still bring you the same way, but I would stick to the white blazes.
• Solitude– 3. We only ran into a few people on this trail. During the summer, the hike from Beagle Gap to the summit of Bear’s Den Mountain is quite popular, though.
  

Directions to trailhead: On Skyline Drive, park at mile 99.5 at the Beagle Gap gravel parking lot on the eastern side of the road.  The trail begins across the road on the western side and through the gate.